Hanger-wrench and splice-adjuster.



P. J. MURPHY. HANGER WRENCH AND SPLICE ADJUSTER.

APPLIUATION FILED D130. 18, 1911.

TIIIIQ WITNESSES Q INVENTOR g jfmAlmm Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. J. MURPHY.

HANGER WRENCH AND SPLIGE ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.18, 1911.

1,032,853. I Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I g I J A. KM Altomqy COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (10.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

PATRICK J'JM'URP I-IY, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

I-IANGER-WRENCI-I AND SPLICE-ADJUSTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, .1911. Serial No. 666,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. ll IURPHY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHanger-Wrenches and Splice-Adjusters, of which the following is aspecification, refer ence being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to wrenches, and while it may be embodied inconstructions adapted for various purposes, it is particu larly suitablefor use as a hanger-wrench and splice-adjuster, for use on over-headtrolley and other wiring systems.

The ob 'ects of my invention are to provide a simple, cheap andefficient device of the character referred to, which will enable oneoperator to perform and accom plish work which heretofore required theservices of two or more; to provide a device which will clamp aspan-wire into position on a hanger, or unclamp it with equal facility;which is applicable alike to hangers of the so-called top-hooking andbottom-hooking varieties; to provide a wrench which will hold a wire orthe like positively, or permit of an accurate adjustment thereof in asplice-sleeve while a splice is being effected; and which willaccomplish these results quickly, economically and effectively withoutburring, scarring, or mutilating the wire or hanger. These; and otherobjects of the invention will in part be clear, and in part be madeapparent from the following description.

My invention consists in the novel parts, improvements, combinations andfeatures of construction which are herein described, one embodiment ofmy invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, referred toherein and made a part hereof, the same serving in connection with thedescription, to explain. the principles of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved hanger-wrench andsplice-adjuster; Fig. 2 is afront elevation showing in detail the grab,and its manner of connection with the shank; Fig. 3 illustrates the useof my wrench as a splice-adjuster; Fig. a illustrates the manner ofusing the wrench in hooking a hanger to a span-wire; Fig. 5

shows the use of the wrench in unhooking the span-wire from the hanger;and Fig. 6

is a side elevation showing, in detail, the grab, as attached in Fig. 5,to the spanwire.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a shank '1, tapered down at oneend to form a handle, has pivotally mounted at its opposite end, a grab2. As shown in Fig. 2, the grab is provided at its upper end with loops8, 3, between which the shank extends, the loops encircling a bolt 4:,which passes loosely through a hole in the shank. The lower end of thegrab is curved and upturned as at 5, the central portion of thisupturned end being provided on its upper edge with a groove (5 for apurpose to be hereinafter explained. Between this groove and the outeredges of the upturned portion of the grab are lesser depressions 7, 7,there being one on either side of the groove. lntGI'IIlGClliL-l'G thelooped and curved portions of the grab, and cut so as to besubstantially inthe same plane as the upper edge of the upturned portionof the grab, are two grooves 8, 8, one on either outer edge, for thereception of the span-wire. These grooves are preferably of smallerdimeir sional area at their outer edges than their largest interiorwidth, and are cut into the grab at a slight angle to a lineperpendicular with its face so as to insure a more positive grippingaction on the span-wire.

A clevis 9, having one end formed to con stit-ute a hook 10, andspanners 11, 11, at the other end, is secured to the shank intermediatethe handle and grab, in any convenient manner, a bolt 12, passing freelythrough. the shank and spanner-s, being here shown. This clevis is foruse specially as a spliceradjuster, and may be removed when the wrenchis used as a hanger and spanwire implement. In proximity to the clevis,on the outer edge of the shank and placed so as to be in substantialalinement with vthe upper surface of the grab when folded down thereon,there is a groove 13, the purpose of which will now be made apparent.

When used as a splice-adjuster, the wires to be spliced, 14, 14, aredrawn together in the usual manner as by a block and tackle (not shown)attached to a clip or so-called come-on 15, andbest seen in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. The end of one of the wires is inserted into asplice-sleeve 16, and bent back upon itself into a groove 17 provided inthe sleeve. The end of the other wire is now inserted into the other endof the sleeve, the Wrench is fitted to the sleeve by setting PatentedJuly 16, 1912.

the end of the sleeve into the groove 6 of the grab, the hook 10 of theclevis is inserted into the link on the clip or come-on and by movingthe handle in one direction or the other, the relative position of thewire and sleeve is adjusted at the will of the operator. This may bedone with one hand, leaving the other free to bend back the second wire,and finish out the splice.

It. will be seen from the above that one man may, by the use of thisimplement, effect a splice, and by the use of one hand adjust the wiresin the splice-sleeve in any position desired.

When it is desired to use the wrench on a hanger, the clevis may beremoved for the sake of convenience in handling, and the operation is asfollows: I have shown conventionally in Figs. l and 5, a common form ofhanger 18, having arms 19, 19, from which depend lugs 20, 20, for thereception of a span-wire 21, used to support a trolley- ,wire 22, shownattached to the lower part ofthe hanger. The span wire is attached topoles on opposite sides of the track, and when it is desired to secure ahanger thereto, one of the lugs 20 ,on the hanger-arm is slipped overthe wire, which leaves the wire'resting against the bell-shaped portionof the hanger, and about four inches, depending on the size and shape ofthe hanger, away from the other arm. To get the span-wire under the lugon the opposite arm has always been diflicult, and was usuallyaccomplished by the aid of a block and tackle, one man pulling on therope, while another drove the wire into place under the lug when it hadbeen brought into place. With my wrench, the span-wire is inserted intoone of the lugs in the usual manner by hand. The curved portion of thegrab is placed around the opposite hanger-arm, as shown in Fig. 4;, thespan-wire is inserted into the groove 13, on the shank, and by bearingdown on the handle into the position shown in dotted lines, the spanwireslips into seat back of the second lug on the opposite side of thehanger-arm.

In case it is desired to release a hanger from a span-wire, theoperation is somewhat difi erent, and is accomplished by placing thespan-wire in one of the grooves or notches 8 on the outer edge of thegrab, moving the grab into position on the hangerarm so that the outeredge of the arm is seated in one of the smaller depressions 7 on thesame side of the grab as the notch or groove 8, the wrench being in theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 5. By moving the handle of thewrench intothe position shown in dotted lines, and slightly to one side,the span-wire is slipped out from under the lug 20, and freed.

My invention in its broader aspect is not limited to the preciseconstruction herein lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A hanger-wrench and splice-adjuster comprising in combination, ashank having at one end ahandle; a grab-member piv otally secured to itsopposite end, said grabmember being upturned and provided with notchesfor the reception of the material to be acted on, and a clevis on theshank intermediate the handle and grab-member.

2. A hangerwrench and splice-adjuster comprising in combination, a shankprovided with a notch in its outer edge, and having at one end a handle;a grab-member pivotally arranged on its opposite end, said grab-memberbeing curved and upturned to form a hook, and provided on its upturnedand outer edges with notches for the reception of the material to beacted on; and a clevis provided with a hook detachably arranged on theshank intermediate the handle and grabmember.

3. A hanger-wrench comprising in combination, a shank provided with anotch, and having at one end a handle; a grabmember arranged on itsopposite end, said grabmember having a curved and upturned portion toform a hook, and provided on its upturned and outer edges with notchesfor the reception of the material to be acted on, the notches in theouter edges being of smaller dimensional area at their outer openingsthan the interior thereof, and at an angle to the surface ofthegrabmember, one of the notches in the upturned surface being insubstantial alinement with the notch in the grab when folded downthereon; and a clevis detachably arranged on the shank intermediate thehandle and grab.

4. A wrench comprising in combination, a shank provided wit-h a notch inits outer edge, and a grab member pivotally connected to the shank, saidgrab member being provided with a series of notches for the reception ofthe material to be acted on, and having at its upper portion spacedloops for the receptionof the shank and a pivotal connecting member, itslower portion being curved and upturned to form substantially asemi-circle to provide a hook.

5. A wrench comprising in combination, a shank shaped at one end to forma handle, and having mounted at its opposite end a grab member, theshank being provided with a notch; said grab member having at its upperportion spaced loops for the reception of the shank, and a pinconnection passing loosely through the shank so as to I outer edges oneither side with notches in 1 permit a swinging motion of the grabmember on the shank; the lower portion of the grab-member being curvedand upturned, and provided on the upper edge of the upturned portionwith notches for the reception of the work to be acted on, and on itsPATRICK J. MURPHY.

Witnesses THOMAS MURPHY,

substantial alinement with the upper sur- JOHN E. BRADLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

